Simply the best summer of my life....

Does anyone ever remember watching The Parent Trap movie and wishing that they could go to camp? When I was young I thought it would always remain a dream but now here I am 20 years old, sitting in freezing cold Ireland and writing a blog post about the summer I've just had.

The day before my adventure began

I have to admit I was a bit of a chicken when it came to applying for a job at camp. Even though I knew 100% this would be a 'job' that I would love, I was still worried about the unknown and afraid I would get homesick. I began my application in 2013 and didn't go through with it, attempted it again in 2014 and you can guess what happened! I didn't go through with it. So in 2015 I told myself that I was applying to work at a summer camp and I would be doing it. I wasn't going to let my worries hold me back. 

So I applied through the amazing company Camp Leaders, whom I can't thank enough for giving me this wonderful opportunity. I started my application, done an interview, paid my fees, got my visa, waited to be placed and the next thing I knew it was May 23rd and I was in Dublin Airport waiting to board my flight to North Carolina.When I first arrived at camp it was weird, I couldn't actually believe I had made it in one piece, albeit minus a suitcase that got left in Philidelphia! I got shown to my cabin and went straight to sleep. Jetlag was not my friend and I woke up at 5am ready to start the day. The first week was for staff orientation, it helped us all get to know each other better and become a team. I will never forget the first day of the first camp session, I was so nervous and looking back I don't know why. When campers arrive the whole camp changes, it becomes this magical place and I literally felt like I was living in the Parent Trap movie.

My summer home 

Everyday was different and the camp tradtions made it just that extra bit special. Every Sunday we would go on a hike for ice cream sundaes, every Tuesday was campfire and every Wednesday was cabin night. And how could I forget the 4th of July celebrations and Camp Christmas?! This was the nicest surprise, all the campers got woken up to sounds of christmas songs being sang and we all went to the lodge to watch the Grinch and eat ice cream sandwiches. There is so much to tell about camp but this blog post will start needing chapters if I continue. I will maybe do another post more about everyday life at camp in the upcoming weeks.

It wouldn't be the 4th of July without the crazy socks from Walmart!

Christmas in July

If you are thinking of applying for this programme, all I can say is just do it. Take the leap of faith and apply! I did just that last year and I have just returned from what I can describe only as being the best summer of my life. It all sounds cheesy, but it's true. Camp opened up my eyes and I have came home a different person and I have made some amazing life long friends. Before camp I didn't go to the shop on my own or I would never go for a walk on my own and it was simply because I had no confidence. But camp pushed me out of my comfort zone and I done things I never thought I would do. Standing up in front of 191 campers announcing whats happening in your activity that day may seem like an easy task to some, but for me it was one of the hardest parts of camp. But looking back I am glad I done it because it's helped me build a bit of confidence and now I am home, i'm continuing to keep myself out of my comfort zone for the better!

I'm hoping I get the chance to do it all over again in 2017. Camp Leaders is an amazing company to go with, they help you with every step of the journey. Anytime I needed help with the application process, it was nice knowing that Camp Leaders were only a phonecall, email or tweet away. Every member of staff goes out of there way to help and they make the full process easy peasy. Just click the link below and have a nosey at their wesbite for more information.

http://www.campleaders.com/gb/

I would do anything to re-live it all!!

Emily Louise 

My first post...

Hello! My name is Emily-Louise, and if there is actually somebody reading these exact words then welcome to my blog and thank you! I have thought about and wanted to begin a blog for quite sometime but I have never found the courage to create one and actually publish a post! I wasn't really sure on what to write about for my first blog post but then I thought why not use my recent trip to Antwerp to begin with!

After all who doesn't love to travel?!

On the 30th October 2015 I boarded a plane with my family and headed for Antwerp. Being honest I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from the place as I have never been anywhere in Belgium before. My parents have been numerous times and they absolutely love it! I always wondered why they enjoyed going here as much as they do, but from my four days here I now understand why! 

When we arrived we got the train from Brussels Airport into the city of Antwerp. After what seemed like a 5 minute journey we got off at Antwerp's Central Station and there is only one word to describe this building, beautiful! My pictures really don't do it any justice! It was just stunning! I went to New York a few years ago and absolutely loved Grand Central Station, this one reminded me of there. I don't know why but I love pretty train stations.... and cobbled streets with trees, leaves and cute shops!!

I should probably invest in a camera, but for now my trusty iPhone5 will have to do...

My first day in Antwerp was a bit of a blur as I was exhausted from my middle of the night alarm! For future reference booking flights that require bus journeys at 2am are not the best idea! Anyway on to day two!

Day two was my kind of day as it mainly consisted of shopping! We went to the market directly outside our hotel, had breakfast and began our day of shopping! It may or may not have taken me a full day to find a new winter coat.... oooops! I blame 'The Meir' and it's wonderful options of shops for this! 'The Meir' is the name of the main shopping street in Antwerp. It's home to a variety of shops including Zara, Bershka, Forever 21 and many many more. This day was also Halloween and my daddy's birthday and we went to the nicest Chinese restaurant I've ever been too for lunch! 

Definitely the poshest shopping centre I've visited! 

Day three...

The day we all became the typical tourist and explored the city... Again we visited the market outside our hotel, got breakfast and then we rented bikes for the day! This was much more fun than I expected! We rode around the streets of Antwerp and to the Port of Antwerp. It was again another beautiful landmark! I was actually proud of some of the photos I managed to take! 

I could have spent my whole day sitting right here... The views were so pretty 

Day four was our last day but we had an evening flight which was handy! We fitted in a few bits of last minute shopping and had lunch at the same Chinese we had on our second day! Before I knew it, it was time to catch the train back to the airport. I thoroughly enjoyed my short break away and I cannot wait to visit this beautiful city again soon! 

This was a long post for my first, if anyone actually happens to be reading this then thank you! I hope you enjoyed my attempt at a blog post 😁

Em x